Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha
मराठी मूळ
शुद्धाशुद्ध निवडे कैसें । चर्म मास भिन्न नाहीं ॥1॥
कांहीं अधिक नाहीं उणें । कवण्या गुणें देवासी ॥ध्रु.॥
उदक भिन्न असे काइऩ । वाहाळ बावी सरिता नइऩ ॥2॥
सूर्य तेजें निवडी काय। रश्मी रसा सकळा खाय ॥3॥
वर्णां भिन्न दुधा नाहीं । सकळा गाइप सारखें ॥4॥
करितां भिन्न नाहीं माती । मडक्या गति भिन्न नांवें॥5॥
वर्त्ते एकविध अिग्न । नाहीं मनीं शुद्धाशुद्ध ॥6॥
तुका ह्मणे पात्र चाड । किंवा विसें अमृत गोड ॥7॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
How can pure and impure be distinguished when skin and flesh are one and the same? By what quality is anything more or less before God? Is water different in a stream, a well, a river, or a great waterway? Does the sun distinguish with its light, when its rays feed all alike? Milk is not different by the color of the cow; all cows give the same. Clay is one and the same; only the pots bear different names. Fire burns in a single manner, knowing no pure or impure. Says Tuka, what matters is the vessel's worthiness, or else nectar itself tastes like poison.
This translation is auto-generated and may contain errors. We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram’s original Marathi.
Social Criticism
Rebuke of hypocrisy, caste pride, false teachers, greed, and religious pretence.
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